India's ambitious solar mission has faltered in its first step. LANCO Infratech subverted government rules to corner a major share of solar capacity in first phase of the mission. This is an investigative report on the scam by Centre for Science and Environment in Down To Earth.

About half the projects miss deadline. A number of power projects taken up under the first phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) are running behind schedule. A survey by Delhi non-profit Centre for Science and Environment shows many projects in the first batch of phase I, totalling 150 MW of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) power capacity, have missed their January 10, 2012 deadline. Thirty projects of 5 MW capacity each were auctioned in November 2010 and contracts had been signed on January 10, 2011 with a 12 month deadline.

Will Britain's court of appeal uphold government decision to slash solar power subsidies? After a short-lived solar boom for residential solar installations in the UK, the industry has run into trouble with the government slashing subsidies in the wake of the sharply falling silicon prices and poor fiscal conditions prevailing in the country. In October-end last year, UK minister for climate change Greg Barker slashed benefits for the solar power producers. The solar industry has decided to fight against what it calls “unjust” and “overly speedy” cuts.

Lowest bid in second batch of solar energy projects was for Rs7.49/unit. The way the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is making progress, it is expected that solar energy will soon be as cheap as energy from conventional sources. At least, that is what emerged from the second batch of bidding under the National Solar Mission held on December 2 for 350 MW capacity. The lowest bid was for Rs7.49 per unit, which is 50 per cent lower than the benchmark tariff of Rs15.39/unit fixed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC).

Developers face penalty in the range of Rs. 2 crore for a month’s delay. With a looming deadline of January 9 next year, many of the 5 MW capacity solar photovoltaic (or PV) projects taken up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission seem set to miss the deadline unless they pick up their pace. Twenty-eight PV projects were to be set up under the mission in a year’s time from the date of signing the power purchase agreements.

Project proposals total 2,500 MW solar energy in second batch of bidding. Launched last year, the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission of the government (JNNSM) continues to lure private players. For the 350 MW of capacity proposed in the second batch of the phase one of the solar mission, requests have come pouring for a total of 2,500 MW capacity. The first phase of the solar mission running from 2010 to 2013 has a target of connecting 1,000 MW solar capacity to the national electricity grid. The first phase has two batches.